Brothers
by KeruKeru
Summary: After the death of their parents, Yamato and Takeru Ishida are sent to boarding school where they meet some interesting people. AU Daikeru, Taito, CodyxOC Rated M for language and possible lemon Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon DISCONTINUED!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"_Did you boys have fun at the beach?" The woman in the front of the car asks. She's wearing a tank top over her swimsuit as well as a towel around her waist, though she's sitting down. Her hair is a golden hue with few gray strands. She has her head turned to face her two sons, her deep, cerulean eyes on them as well as a smile upon her face._

_The smaller of the boys grins. "We sure did mom!" He has on a plain, white T-shirt and a pair of red swim trunks. He, too, has golden hair, just as his mother and shares the color of her eyes. Though he acted like a much younger child, the boy was, in fact, thirteen years old; fourteen in two weeks. He nudges the other boy, obviously his brother as they look so much alike. "Didn't you have fun Matt?"_

"_Whatever." The oldest blonde haired, blue eyed boy replies. His hair, though blonde as his mother's and brother's, was perfectly coifed just as he liked it. His eyes were a tad duller in color as his brother's. His skin is also paler than that of his sibling, but that's because he doesn't tan well and, therefore, stays out of the sun as much as possible. He turns his head to stare out the window, once again._

_Their mother sighed. "Yamato, can't you just pretend to enjoy something for once?" She pleaded. It was true; the eldest, at sixteen, never liked doing much unless it revolved around music or himself._

_The boy offered no reply and continued his staring. "Well, it's nice to know you had fun Takeru." The blonde woman smiled to her youngest child. "What about you dear?" Her head was now turned to face that of her husband; the man driving their red Sedan. He, unlike the other three, had brown hair that was much greyer than his wife's. His face also appeared more aged, most likely due to the long nights in the office in which he worked._

"_Compared to the rest of my week, it was definitely relaxing." The man chuckled. His wife flashed a gentle smile before turning back to the front._

"_Hey mom?" The youngest, Takeru, asked._

"_What is it honey?" His mother replied._

"_Do you think we can go to the beach again next week?" Hope was dripping from his voice like water from a melting icicle._

"_I'm not sure. It was lucky your father got the time off that he did." A disappointed sigh could be heard from the back seat. "But, that's not to say we won't try." She concluded, trying to keep her son from giving up hope of ever seeing the beach again._

_Takeru must have been more tired than he realized, because before he knew it, his eyelids shut and he was swept into dreamland._

"_Look at how tuckered out he is." Mrs. Ishida giggled, seeing her youngest drift off._

"_Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen him this tired." Mr. Ishida chuckled. "Yamato, do you remember when you were his age? How you'd be asleep as soon as we got in the car?" When no reply came, their father looked in the vehicle's rear view mirror to find Yamato asleep against the window he'd been staring out of. "Well, I suppose some things never change."_

"_I suppose not." Mrs. Ishida yawned after she spoke. "I think I'm beginning to catch whatever they got."_

"_It's alright, you rest; I can keep quiet by myself." Her husband assured._

"_Okay… just… tell me… if you… need… anything…" and she was out as soon as she finished her sentence._

_

* * *

_

Another hour passed as the sun was beginning to set and the sky went from blue to an orange color that turned what clouds there were, pink. Mr. Ishida was starting to feel the effects of the beach creeping upon him. He was used to staying awake, however, so he powered through. But, as he entered the freeway that lead back to Odiba, his eyes slipped shut and the wheel turned. A squeal of the tires woke everyone, but that wasn't enough to stop the impending accident as their vehicle collided with a small, green Nissan Altima who's driver was on his cell phone, arguing with his wife over what to have for dinner. He didn't see the car coming at him; only felt the impact as the heavier vehicle pushed him into the barrier. The man jammed his foot on the brake, stopping the green car. The Ishida car, however, turned around the front of the car and was now facing on coming traffic as a black Suzuki rammed the front of their car, deploying the airbags, and setting it sliding into a woman on her way home from an evening at the office in a baby blue Smart Car. The Ishida's car stopped as a silver Toyota Corolla careened into the, already smashed in, front of the car. Since the airbags had deployed already, nothing could save Mr. and Mrs. Ishida as they both slipped into an unconscious state. Yamato, completely speechless, sat with a cut on his cheek and some scrapes over his left leg and arm. Takeru's face was one of horror as he looked at the lifeless bodies of his once very much alive parents.

"_Mom… dad?" His voice cracked as he called to them. "Mom! … Dad!" Hearing nothing only made tears fall from his bruised face. "Mom, wake up! Dad!" That's when it happened, he screamed. That's it; he screamed. His attempts at waking his parents, however, were futile, but did allow people checking other drivers to know they were in there. A large, burly man opened the nearly crushed door that was beside Takeru. He stopped his screams as soon as he heard the creaking and saw someone before him._

"_Are you alright?" The man asked. He too had some scrapes, but they were on his face. He nodded, not knowing what else to do. Within that time frame, Yamato had unbuckled and climbed over to Takeru, hugging his brother. The youngest cried as Yamato explained about their parents. The man nodded before opening their mother's car door and found something he didn't want to. A piece of glass, from the windshield, had forced itself into the woman's chest and blood was practically pouring from the wound. Mr. Ishida had smashed his head against the steering wheel upon the second impact and blood leaked from his nose._

_Yamato pulled his brother from the trashed vehicle and wouldn't let him go, no matter how much struggle he put up. "LET GO! I HAVE TO MAKE SURE MOM AND DAD ARE OKAY!" He yelled through tears, knowing they weren't 'okay'._

"_NO! You can't go." That was all that was said as ambulances were heard in the distance. And, Takeru blacked out._

_

* * *

_

Blue eyes opened to greet an unfamiliar, white room. A steady, rhythmic beep could be heard every second within the room. Takeru tried moving his arms, but nothing happened, he was too weak.

"_Hey…" The boy's head turned to the sound, finding his older brother in a chair next to him, a scar replacing the cut he'd had on his cheek._

"_Matt… what… happened…?" The boy's voice was frail from disuse._

_His older brother sighed, dreading that he'd ask that question. "Takeru, there was an accident." Suddenly, memories flooded the boy's mind of their parents and tears were streaming down his face. Yamato's arms were around him in a second to comfort the boy. "Takeru, you've been in a coma for nearly a week now."_

"_How *sob* are mom *sob* and dad?"_

_Yamato had been dreading that question as well. As he had been the only one conscious at the time he was the one to watch as firefighters pulled their inert bodies from the smashed vehicle just as ambulances had arrived. He was the one to have Takeru taken from his arms as medics checked for signs of life in the boy. He was the one who climbed into the ambulance with his brother while their parents were taken to the hospital in another one. He was the one who, that same night, was told the most horrible news ever: their parents had died. Their mother from massive blood loss and their father from brain trauma when his head collided with the steering wheel. Yamato was the first one to mourn his parents by crying himself to sleep every night that week and seeing the images played through in his mind. He didn't want Takeru to know, but he knew he would eventually. "Mom and dad… they…" he couldn't bring himself to do it. "… died." He whispered the final word, hoping Takeru hadn't heard it, but he had and broke down crying._

**

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**

DarkTy: As you can see, this story won't be all happy like the rest of my stories. It will be sad at times, but hopefully you'll think it's good. Anyway, reviews welcome, flames are not.


	2. Chapter 1

**1. In Which Friends Are Made and Roommates Are Met**

"TK… wake up." Yamato Ishida shook his younger brother who had fallen asleep on the long bus ride. The younger boy's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing cerulean orbs with shadows beneath them. "We're almost there." Yamato's tone was almost motherly. He had taken up much of the role as Takeru's parent after the passing of both of their parents.

"Hmm… f've more min'tes." Takeru mumbled, trying to go back to sleep and succeeding.

Two months; that was the time it had been since they'd basically become orphans. In their parent's will, the boys were to live with their grandparents on their mother's side until further arrangements could be made for them to attend the Tokyo School for Boys. Neither boy was eighteen, so they had to abide by the rules set forth in the will.

The funeral had been near torture for Takeru. He didn't just cry, he bawled. He couldn't stop crying. Thankfully, Yamato had been there for support. Though he didn't cry, Takeru could tell his brother was broken up inside. No matter how well the oldest could hide it from others, Takeru could always tell when he was bothered by something.

Of course; the boys were made aware of their living arrangements the day after Takeru had awoken from his mini-coma.

_

* * *

_

-Flashback-

_The boys' grandparents had come to see that the boys were holding up and to inform them of something. Of what, the boys could only guess._

"_Now boys, we have some news…" Their grandfather trailed off. Both boys turned to him though Takeru had a bit of a harder time as he was still bed ridden until later that day. "Your grandmother and I… we received a phone call from your parents' lawyer. He informed us of their will." At this, Takeru had broken into tears once again, like he had all day before and up until their grandparents walked in. Yamato was right there, holding onto Takeru and comforting the boy. "The information we gathered was that your parents, in the event of something like this…" By now, their grandmother had begun crying and was dabbing at her eyes with a napkin she'd pulled from her purse. "You two are to live with us. That is, until we can register you for the Tokyo School for Boys."_

_Two pairs of blue eyes turned; one still filled with tears, the other brimming with them. "W-what's that pla-ace?" The youngest sobbed._

_The old man sighed. "It's a boarding school. Apparently, your father attended as a boy and it's also one of the best boarding schools in the country."_

_Yamato's eyes widened. "Our dad went to boarding school?" Their grandfather nodded. "Why?"_

"_Well, you've never met his parents, have you?" Both boys thought, but eventually shook their heads. "You see, when your father was seven, his parents left him at the school and never visited him."_

"_How do you know?" Takeru, tears still in his blue eyes, asked._

"_It was what was in their will. That's how they knew where to send you." The boys looked confused. "Listen; as much as we'd love to have you stay with us, it's what your parents wanted. We can't go against their wishes like that. It just wouldn't feel right."_

_-End Flashback-_

* * *

"Alright Takeru, you've had enough sleep, time to wake up." Yamato said with a more demanding tone in his voice than was there before. His younger brother had re-awoken some time before, but he still wanted to get back to sleep. He kept telling himself: _This is just a dream and when I wake up I'll be in the car with my parents and Matt on our way home from the beach._ Each time he awoke, however, it was all the same. There were still buildings passing by, there were still uncomfortable bus seats beneath them, there was still an angry driver telling all the other boys to quiet down and there was still the same interminable nightmare he would never wake up from. "Come on, we only have about five minutes till we get there."

The younger boy's eyes finally opened fully, but they went straight to staring out the window as if to see something he wanted to see, but he found nothing he wanted to see. All that was outside was a sign stating that this land belonged to the Tokyo School for Boys and trespassing would result in a fine of some sort.

Yamato watched his brother, trying to make sense of his behavior until the driver's voice came on the speakers. "Alright, now listen up, you had all better be in your uniforms by the time we stop, otherwise, you aren't getting off this bus." Yamato heard a few boys scrambling around behind him and nearly turned if it hadn't been for Takeru.

"Matt… do we have to do this?" The boy all but whimpered.

Yamato nodded slowly as he turned to face his brother. "As much as I wish we didn't, we have to."

Takeru sighed. The brothers had gotten into their uniforms before they were picked up by the bus, so they had nothing to worry about. Neither of them was watching where they were as the bus lurched to a stop, nearly flinging them out of their seats. A brunette boy, that was younger than Takeru, practically flew past the brothers as the bus had stopped. He'd been standing, trying to pull his pants up when the brake had been slammed to the floor and the boy was off the ground in a second. His pants still weren't up, however. Other boys were pointing and laughing at him as the small boy laid there, his stomach churning from the wild ride and from the embarrassment. Takeru pushed past Yamato to see what was so funny, though Yamato wasn't laughing. The younger blonde stood in the cramped isle and held his hand out to the boy who, reluctantly, took it and was pulled up from the floor. He had his pants up and buckled with his belt soon after. "Hi, my name's Takeru, but you can call me TK. This is my brother Yamato…" he gestured to the older boy. "But he likes people to call him Matt." _That was a drastic mood change._ Yamato thought to himself, noticing his brother go from sullen and mopey to happy and upbeat… or at least, happier and more upbeat than he was.

"Uhh… h-hi TK… my name's… uhhh… Iori… you can call me Cody though." The boy said timidly, his eyes not once leaving the floor out of discomfiture. "Thanks for… um… helping me up…"

Takeru smiled at him. "No problem." The blonde assured. Iori nodded before going back to his seat.

"Alright you little pests, we're here." The driver grumbled into the intercom. As he finished speaking, a man, looking to be in his forties with tan skin, dirty blonde and graying hair and kind eyes boarded the long vehicle. He wore a tan blazer, as well as a tan undershirt and slacks to match.

He smiled to the bus full of boys. "Hello, welcome to the Tokyo School for Boys. I'm the principal here, my name is Takahashi Motomiya. Principal Motomiya to you, however. You had better hope that your teachers don't send you to me for anything but admiration, because I will not be this nice otherwise. Well, if everyone would please follow me so I may take you on a grand tour of the school I can show you all around while your things are taken to your rooms. You will be given your class assignments as well as rooming arrangements after the tour so best to hurry if you wish to relax before classes tomorrow." Stepping off the bus, he wasn't surprised to hear the boys following, eager to get the tour over with.

* * *

"To begin the tour," the principal said, taking the same route he had taken numerous a grand tours before. "Here, we have two of our four dorm buildings, aptly named East House and North House. West House and South House are on the other side of the grounds." The buildings he was referring to were quite large, about three stories high and about the same square footage as an apartment building. The rooves were green with pale tan siding and ornate designs running along each side. The buildings themselves were the same color as the roof siding. For every room, there seemed to be one window; two if the room was on the corner of the buildings. "Now, on with the tour."

"This is so boring…" Yamato whispered to his brother. The boy nodded in agreement. Yamato's cerulean eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something behind them. He turned and found it was Iori, from the bus, and some of the boys were making fun of him for the pants incident.

Tears were falling from Iori's eyes. "Stop making fun of me!" Anger was evident in his otherwise, small voice as he stared watery daggers at his harassers.

"Why should we? So you can go drop your pants somewhere else?" One of the boys, obviously taller than Iori, mocked.

Yamato had heard enough to know he and Takeru were needed as Iori was the closest thing to a friend they had at the moment. He gestured with his head to the group of boys and Takeru understood, following his brother away from the larger group being led by the principal.

"I told you, I didn't do that on purpose!" Iori was still crying. He didn't notice when one of his tormentors pantsed him. It was simple since Iori's belt was too big for his waist that it would slide off easily. He tried to pull his pants back up, but the boy who had pulled his pants down pushed him forward. The green eyed boy fell, face first, onto the large, cement walk way.

"HEY!" Yamato yelled in anger. "Why don't you go pick on somebody your own size you little punks?" Since Yamato was a good six inches taller than the tallest boy, the three ran back to the tour group with their tails between their legs. "Cody, are you alright?"

Takeru kneeled next to him on the ground, trying to get an answer to Yamato's question when they heard him sob. "No… I'm not… alright… I hate it here… I've only been here five minutes… and I already hate it so much. I've been made fun of since I got here, I was nearly beaten up and I have no friends. How can I possibly be alright?" He curled into a ball that only made the boy seem smaller.

Takeru scoffed. "You've got us buddy. We're your friends now." The boy uncurled and looked at him in astonishment.

"You… you mean it?" He had completely forgotten about his pants.

"Sure, we've gotta stick together if we want to get out of here alive." Yamato joked, though he didn't even so much as crack a smile.

Iori's eyes showed true happiness as a small smile grew from it's former frown. "Thanks you guys." All of a sudden, the small boy remembered his pants were down. He pulled them back up as a blush ran over his face. "I really need a smaller belt."

* * *

Five hours; it had taken five hours to complete their tour of the grounds. Not that the area was that large, just that there was the occasional 'stop and stare' moment, MANY bathroom breaks as well as resting breaks. What else could you expect from a bunch of boys?

"Now that you've gotten acquainted with where you'll be living- as well as becoming _very_ well acquainted with the bathroom facilities- it's time to find where you will be living and what classes you will be having. Boys, I'd like you to meet Mrs. Arukeni, she is our attendance taker. She monitors any and all absences you may have." Rather than continue speaking he let the woman take over.

She had straight, shoulder length, red hair with piercing green eyes. She wore a white, long sleeved, button up shirt with a gray skirt that reached her knees. "I have your room and class arrangements here." She told them, holding up sheets of paper. "When I call your name, please come get your paper and wait for further instructions." She didn't have a very kind voice; sure, it was feminine, but not friendly like you'd expect a woman to be. "Akira Hirone!"

Iori, Takeru and Yamato were sitting in the grass, talking about nothing in particular when something pulled them from the conversation. "Iori Hida!" The woman called. Iori ran up and took his paper, bowing and thanking her as he did so. He made his way back to his friends and showed them his paper.

"My roommate is a kid named Hinaka Otoma." The brunette told them, sitting in the grass once again.

"Sounds great." Takeru feigned a smile while Yamato didn't even try.

"Yamato and Takeru Ishida!" The attendance woman called. The brothers raced up to receive their papers and got back to Iori.

They both sat on the ground and perused their assignments. "I'm rooming with a kid named Daisuke Yagami." Takeru said.

"I think I'm rooming with his brother. Taichi Yagami is my roommate." Yamato said, displeased that he wouldn't be with his brother. "I bet they're both obnoxious jerks."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Takeru chuckled. Then, he noticed something. "Hey, we're all in the west building and we're all down the hall from each other. What are the chances?"

"I don't know. What classes do you have TK?" Iori asked, hoping his new friend had at least one with him although they were two years apart.

"Here, let me see your schedule." Iori handed the piece of paper over and waited while Takeru compared them both. "We both have third period writing class together."

"That sounds like fun!" Iori cheered. "What about you Matt?"

"I'm three years older than TK. I doubt I would have any classes with you." Yamato answered. He hadn't meant to sound mean, he was just stating a fact.

"Now that you have all received your assignments, report to your dormitories. Your belongings will be there when you arrive." Mrs. Arukeni announced, leaving for, what the boys assumed was, her office. They also noticed that the principal had gone as well.

* * *

"Who are you?" Asked a red headed, tanned boy with chocolate eyes as Takeru walked into his appointed room. The boy was dressed in their school uniform, but had goggles strapped to his head and was tossing a soccer ball up in the air. Takeru stood their, dumbfounded at all of the soccer posters that were tacked to the walls all around the room. "Helloooooooo… are you listening?" The boy asked.

"Huh?... Oh, sorry, my name's Takeru Ishida, I'm your new roommate. You must be Daisuke Yagami." Takeru didn't ask it as much as he stated it.

"Yeah, I am. You got a problem with that?"

The boy's question caught Takeru off guard. "Uh… no…? Should I have a problem with it?"

Daisuke scoffed at the question. "Not unless you wanna get beaten up." Takeru didn't find his attempt at a threat scary, rather laughable actually.

* * *

"You must be Yamato. They told me I'd be getting a new roommate today. Oh, sorry, where are my manners? Hi, my name's Taichi Yagami. You can just call me Tai." The brunette boy, that looked disturbingly alike to his brother, held his hand out to Yamato. Taichi, although he was alike Daisuke in many ways, was different from him as well. For one, he was taller and less dense. He didn't try to act tough. He'd been waiting to meet this 'Yamato Ishida' he'd heard would be his roommate… and for more reasons than one.

"Yeah… I'm Yamato Ishida." The blonde said, brushing past his gracious host.

_You're really talkative._ Taichi joked to himself. "So…you play guitar?" The brunette asked, noticing that a guitar case had been brought up earlier.

"Yes, I do." Yamato said simply.

"What kinds of songs do you play?" Even someone like Daisuke could hear the curiosity dripping from the older Yagami's voice.

Yamato let out a sigh, contemplating whether to answer or not. "I was in a band a while ago. We mostly played alternative rock and stuff like that."

"That sounds pretty cool." Taichi grinned.

Yamato's eyes fell on a keyboard that was lying diagonally on, what supposed to be, his bed. "You play the keyboard?" He asked, moving the instrument to the other, more dishelved bed.

The taller boy rubbed the back of his neck. "Well… not really." Yamato raised an eyebrow. "I mean, I _can_ play it, I just don't do it unless I'm depressed or something's bothering me. It basically helps me cope with stuff. I just play a melody and make up the words as I go along."

"I've done that before too." Yamato admitted. "Do you mind keeping it down? It's been a long day and I just want to get some rest." He told the tanned boy, lying down on his new bed.

"Sure, I have to finish reading a book for class anyway. Sleep tight Yamato." He joked.

At his words, that blonde turned his back to Taichi so the chocolate eyed boy wouldn't see the slight blush that covered his face. _Why did they have to give me such a charming roommate?_ He scowled as he drifted off.

* * *

Iori knocked on the door to his new room. The last thing he expected is exactly what happened. The boy that answered the door was shirtless, wet and had a towel tied around his waist. The sight made the shorter boy blush and look down. "Umm… h-hello there… m-my n-n-name is-"

"Iori Hida?" The dirty blonde haired boy asked, finishing the boy's sentence. Iori nodded. "Hi there, my name's Hinaka Otoma, but you can just call me Hina." He held out his wet hand for Iori to shake and the boy took it. Going up and down slowly, not taking his eyes off the floor for a second. "So… you should probably come in and I'll finish getting dressed." Hinaka said, pulling his hand away as Iori followed him in. "Oh, sorry about this by the way." He gestured to his body. "I just got back from baseball practice and I thought I had more time to get ready. I wanted to make a good impression." Hinaka explained with a smile on his face. _He sure is cute._ Hinaka thought, feeling a slight blush cover his cheeks at the musing.

"I-It's o-okay… I u-understand." Iori stuttered. _What's wrong with me today?_ He asked himself, trying to make himself stop stuttering.

"Well, I'll finish up and then I'll introduce you to my friends… if you don't mind… that is. We could just stay here and talk… if you want." Hinaka told him, flushing a little more as he spoke.

"I'd like that. I kinda want to get to know the person I'll be spending the most time with." Iori confessed, finally moving his head to look Hinaka in the eyes. He knew he shouldn't have, since it made his blush redder, but he wanted to see the eyes of the nicest boy he'd met since he came here… aside from Takeru and Yamato. Though Iori immediately went back to looking at the floor, the image he'd seen was engraved in his mind forever. Hinaka had the bluest eyes Iori had ever seen and the gentleness he'd seen in them only made it that much better. _What's going on with me?_ He asked himself as Hinaka went back to the bathroom.

**

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Daikeru: Okay, first of all, raise your hand if you think Cody is one of the cutest Digi-boys! *raises hand* Anyway; so, Yamato isn't the social type, shocking right? But, you'll understand more of that later. Daisuke has a bit of a problem with new guys and Hinaka just seems like Iori's perfect seme, doesn't he? Damn, I just gave it away. XD Well, you probably figured it out already, but still. I think Cody's cute and he deserves something. Also, the principal is NOT Daisuke's dad, he's the principal and nothing else. Daisuke has taken the place of Kari as Tai's sibling in this fic. Ergo the name of the story:

_**Brothers.**_** ;D Anyway, r&r to you all! Your flames will be used to roast marshmallows that my loyal reviewers and I will share. Flamers get nothing but that satisfaction.**


	3. Chapter 2

**2. In Which a Song Is Played**

Yamato and Takeru were sitting in the common area of their new home, eating the breakfast they had been served. This morning it was just oatmeal with brown sugar. Takeru had already eaten half of his bowl when he noticed his brother was just playing with his food. Not really playing, just not really eating it either. He was basically stirring the oatmeal around with his spoon. Taking the spoon from his mouth, Takeru asked, "Is something bothering you Matt?"

Yamato looked almost like he'd forgotten Takeru was there because he jumped a little at the boy's voice. "Huh… what?" He asked, facing Takeru now, instead of his bowl of oatmeal.

"I asked, is something bothering you?" The younger blonde repeated.

"Oh… it's nothing; I'm just… not hungry." Yamato obviously lied. Takeru could always tell when his brother was lying because the musician stared down when he lied.

Takeru stared at his brother in disbelief. "I know when you're lying, Matt." Yamato glared at the table now. _Damn his ability to read my face._ The older blonde thought. "It's not like I'll judge you or something."

"It's nothing Takeru, just drop it." Yamato's tone was harsh. He only used Takeru's full name when he was being serious, which wasn't too often; especially as of late. So, the younger of the two went back to eating his breakfast in awkward silence. Until, that is, Iori came to sit with them.

"Morning guys." He smiled at the two, his green eyes shining with happiness. Yamato made some sort of head bob to acknowledge his existence.

Takeru waved. "Morning Cody." Iori sat down with his bowl of oatmeal and began eating. "So… what's Hinaka like?" Suddenly, the brunette began choking on his food. He coughed and wheezed until someone started patting him on the back… but it wasn't Takeru.

The boy calmed down from his fit and began to speak. "Thanks *cough* T…" His eyes fell upon the person who had actually done the "helping": Hinaka Otoma. "Oh… uhh… th-thanks H-Hinaka." The boy stuttered, flushing a pink to his cheeks.

Hinaka smiled. "No problem Cody, happy to help a friend. See ya later." The dirty blonde haired boy waved at Iori before continuing to a group of boys they assumed were his friends.

Takeru's lips were in an 'o' shape until he spoke. "Cody… what was that all about?"

The brunette's eyes widen and the pink dusting to his cheeks grew redder and more prominent. "W-What are you t-t-talking ab-bout T-Takeru?" The twelve year old stuttered.

"The whole blush thing you had going on… what was that about?" Takeru inquired further.

The green eyed boy chuckled nervously. "I don't know what you're talking about." He denied.

"If you say so." Takeru shrugged, returning to his breakfast.

* * *

A pale fist knocked on the door only to be answered by an "I've got clothes on!" from the other side. Takeru twisted the doorknob and stepped into the room he shared with Daisuke Yagami. "Oh, it's just you." The tanned boy stated, lying on his bed, playing his Nintendo DS.

Takeru scoffed. "It's nice to see you too."

"Do you have a reason for being here?" Daisuke asked rudely.

"You mean, other than the fact that I live here too?" The blond shot back. He went to sit on the small, white sheeted bed. "Daisuke… can I ask you something?"

The slightly younger boy sighed uninterestedly before replying. "Whatever TJ." He didn't even attempt to correct himself.

"It's T-_K_." The taller boy corrected, putting extra emphasis on the K. "I think we should get to know each other. I mean, we've lived together for the past three days and my brother and your brother have gotten to know each other. Even my friend Cody and his roommate know each other better than you and I know each other…"

"Nowhere in that monologue was a single question." Daisuke pointed out like a smart ass. "I really don't care who you are though. I'm only here until I turn eighteen." His words sent some sort of pang through Takeru that turned into a fire the more the sentences were replayed.

The blonde glared at Daisuke. "So you don't care about your education at all?"

"Of course not, why would I?" Daisuke asked, eyeing the boy warily.

"Because there are kids out there who aren't as fortunate who would kill to have your place in this school." Takeru fired at him.

"Dude, why are you over reacting about this? You don't even know me." He responded, raising an eyebrow.

Takeru suddenly looked surprised. Why _was_ he acting this way? "I… have to go… clear my head." Takeru told his roommate before leaving the room.

* * *

Yamato sat on the edge of his bed, his guitar in his hands. Just as he was about to strum the instrument, the door opened to reveal a tall, tan boy, wearing the school's uniform and his recognizable mop of brown hair. "Oh, sorry, was I interrupting something?" Taichi asked.

"No, I hadn't really started." Yamato assured, his face showed no emotion; as it always did. "Taichi, do you mind if I ask you a couple questions?"

Taichi seemed surprised. Both at the mention of his full name and at the suddenness of Yamato's request. "I guess not…" He said, sitting on the edge of his bed, facing the blonde. "What do you want to know?"

"Well… first of all… I want to know why you didn't have a roommate when I came here." The shorter of the teens said.

"Oh, that's an easy one. My last roommate- his name was Koushiro, but he liked being called Izzy- he was…" Taichi trailed off, thinking something else entirely. "Yamato, before I tell you, I need you to know something about me."

Yamato's eyes widened a bit. "Umm… okay…?"

Taichi took a breath and made eye contact with the blonde again. "I'm gay." He stated bluntly. The brunette reddened a little at his confession.

"Oh…"

Seconds turned to minutes as Taichi waited for something more to be said, but when nothing was, he continued his previous story. "Koushiro, he was my boyfriend… he was for almost a year… but two days before our anniversary… we got into a fight. I wanted us to have sex for the first time on our anniversary, but he wanted to stay a virgin for another year. After that… we kinda fell apart. We both decided that the relationship was going nowhere and we ended it. It was on good terms, but he still asked for a switch of rooms, so now he lives in the South dorm."

_He would be the last person I'd peg as gay. But I guess, in a place like this, you'd have to be in order to get any._ "How long ago did you guys break up?"

Taichi met Yamato's eyes and the blonde could see the pain behind them. "We broke up a week before you came here… and it's been three days since you got here… so only ten days."

"Sorry for bringing it up." Yamato apologized.

"It's okay. You have the right to know." Taichi told him, putting a small smile back on his face. "I'm kinda glad we broke up though."

"Why's that?"

"Because now I have someone new as a roommate." Taichi chuckled to himself.

"Tai, why are you here… at the school I mean." Yamato asked.

The look of pain had returned to Taichi's face at the question. "You see… when Daisuke was nine, our mom had gotten pregnant for the third time. It was supposed to be a girl; she was going to be named Kari. Around the end of here first trimester, my mom lost the baby… she was never the same after that. She was clinically depressed, so much so that my dad left her without even taking us with him, he just up and left one day. Another month went by and our mom had begun drinking… a lot. One week, she wouldn't come out of her room, so Daisuke and I just assumed she was drinking again, but then we smelled something from her room…" The boy was crying now, on the verge of sobbing. "We went to check it out… and… we found… she was dead. She had been for a few days, according to the coroner. She'd died from alcohol poisoning. Without our dad there, our aunt took care of us for about a week before she suddenly decided that we were too much to handle and she sent us here." Taichi hadn't realized when Yamato's arms had encircled him, just that they were now embracing him, pulling the taller boy close to the blonde as he cried. Even though it stained Yamato's shirt, he didn't care.

Yamato rubbed Taichi's back to sooth him, but the boy kept sobbing. "… M-Matt?" The brunette asked, pulling his head out of the crook of Yamato's neck.

The blonde looked him in the teary eyes. "Hm?" He hummed sympathetically, nearly smiling at how cute Taichi looked, but he thought better of it due to what had just been said.

"I'm s-sorry…" The brown eyed teen apologized.

"Sorry for what?" Yamato asked, puzzled. Taichi turned his reddened eyes to meet Yamato's blue ones as if to say "for this". "Tai don't apologize for crying. You don't have to be tough or anything just for me. We've only known each other for three days, it's not like I could think less of you." Yamato surprised himself at his words. He normally would have said something like "Whatever" or "Yeah", but he decided to tell the boy in his arms what he really thought.

Taichi looked at him, hopeful. "Really?" Yamato nodded and Taichi's tear stained face broke into a sad grin. It obviously didn't take much to make him forget what had just happened. He was working on trying to block out everything sad and save everything he remembered that was good about his life. It worked sometimes… not so well on other occasions. "Umm… Matt?" The blonde met his gaze again. "Have you… umm… ever… k-kissed anyone…?"

Yamato's eyes widened a little at the question. "Well… yeah, but only by the one person." He admitted. He took note of the strange effect Taichi was having on him after only knowing him for such a short time. "But I don-" He was cut off and Taichi shoved their lips together. At first, Yamato didn't object, but as his eyes widened in realization, he shoved the soccer player off him and nearly off the bed. "I… I… I have to go… I can't do this…" Yamato said on the verge of freaking out as he dashed out of the room.

Yamato heard Tai's last words before the door shut. "I really _am_ sorry now…"

_

* * *

_

Why did I react like that to Daisuke? It's not like I've known him long enough to care about him. Not even as a friend, much less someone… closer. Why am I even going there? I'm not gay, so why should I care about him like that? It's not like he'd care about me that way. What the hell's wrong with me?

Takeru's mind was plagued with never ending musings as well as questions. He was strolling along a sidewalk on the campus, the sky above had shimmering points within a never ending black sea. _This would be romantic if I had somebody to share it with… and definitely _not_ Daisuke. Preferably, a girl, maybe with reddish-brown hair and chocolate brown eyes who likes sports. Yeah, she'd be kinda cute._ "I wonder if she wo- OW! Sorry. Oh, hi Matt." Takeru greeted after having run into his brother.

Two hours of walking had found Yamato at this spot, talking to Takeru. "Whatever…" The older blonde said before continuing along on his predetermined path. _I can't believe Tai would do something like. What the hell is his problem? God, I hate him so much…_ Yamato wasn't even fooling himself; he knew he didn't hate Taichi, but if he didn't hate him… then what _did_ he feel?

"Matt, why are you all mopey all of a sudden? It seems like you've got some sort of mood swing thing going on. Can't you just tell me?" Takeru begged, following after his brother. Yamato stopped in his tracks.

"You want to know what's going on?" Yamato asked in a monotone. Takeru nodded. "Tai kissed me; that's what's going on." Takeru didn't seem too surprised, he got the vibe that Tai had something towards his brother. At least now he knew what that something was.

"So why are you out here?" Takeru asked, eyebrow raised.

"Because I can't do this…"

"Do… what, exactly?" Takeru pressed.

"I can't be in another relationship… not after… _him_." Yamato said, a single tear threatening to drop from his saddened blue eyes. Takeru knew his brother was bisexual. He'd met Yamato's previous girlfriend, she was a nice, red head named Sora. They had gone out for two weeks before she left him for someone better. He wasn't too phased by it due to the fact that he was cheating on Sora already with a blue haired sixteen year old named Jyou. The two went out for nearly ten months and Yamato had truly felt love for the blunette. That is, until he walked in on Jyou sleeping with a pink haired slut that was younger than Yamato- only by a month or so. It was what had finally broken Yamato. He had gone from a somewhat happy-go-lucky musician who was part of a band to a somber, always bored, non-talkative reason that the band broke up and why he didn't have many friends.

"Matt… what happened with Jyou… that was almost a year and a half ago… maybe this is fate's way of saying move on." Takeru offered, not wanting to anger his brother any further. Yamato shook his head in disagreement.

"Or it's fates way of telling me to control myself and not get into any relationships too fast again." The older blonde argued.

Takeru sighed. "You're impossible, you know that? Life gives you an opportunity and you just throw it away like it's nothing. God, you're worse than Daisuke!"

Yamato looked to Takeru with an eyebrow raised. "What does he have to do with this?" He asked, completely side stepping the other half of Takeru's comment.

Takeru grew a little pink in his cheeks, but shook his head. "Never mind him. Are you really gonna throw something like this away just because of something that happened so long ago?"

"Just shut up Takeru! You have no idea how it feels to have your heart ripped out of your chest!" Yamato shocked himself at what he'd just said.

Takeru felt tears brimming in his eyes. "You think I don't know what it feels like? I saw both of our parents die, Yamato! I relive the same thing every night! It's so bad that Daisuke actually sleeps with ear plugs! You're right, I may not know how it feels to be cheated on, but I sure as hell know how it feels having my heart ripped out of my chest." The nearly crying boy glared at his brother before turning and stalking off. "Come talk to me when you stop being selfish…"

_Is he… right? Should I take this chance? I mean, I've only known Tai for three days… but he has an effect on me. When I'm near him… I just want to share everything he wants to know. When I'm not… I'm this: Moody-Yamato. But… can I trust him? I mean, Jyou cheated on me, Tai just as well could too. Pull yourself together Yamato; you know Tai was the first one to make a move. You were first with Jyou, so maybe this time it's better. Then again… he's only been apart from Koushiro for little over a week. I don't know anymore. Maybe I should just try it and see…_ Yamato thought to himself as he began stalking back to his room.

* * *

"So, you figure out why you care about my education?" The smug fourteen year old asked as his blonde roommate entered.

"No…" Takeru trailed off. "Can we just try to be friends?"

"Whatever you want TA." Daisuke smirked.

"It's. T. K!" Takeru corrected.

Daisuke chuckled. "I know, I just liked messing with you." The boy stuck his tongue out at Takeru.

_This is gonna be hard._ He thought, shaking his head.

* * *

Iori was curled up on his bed, beneath the covers, reading his copy of _Chibi Vampire 7_, it was his favorite manga and he had every volume. Hinaka walked in with another boy who Iori assumed was Hinaka's boyfriend since they came in holding hands. The brunette's green eyes showed jealousy as well as grief at the realization. "Hi Hinaka…"

"Hey Cody. By the way, I told you to call me Hina." The dirty blonde boy smiled. "Oh, I almost forgot, this is my friend Satoshi Fukamora." He gestured to the spiky-black haired boy next to him who had golden eyes and was slightly tan. Both boys were dressed in their baseball jerseys which were white with green stripes.

"Hi Satoshi…" Iori couldn't conceal the envy from his voice even if he didn't know why it was there. Hinaka raised an eyebrow at his roommate.

"I'll catch you later Satoshi." The raven haired boy waved and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Hinaka turned back to Iori. "Is something bothering you?"

"No, I… I just… never mind."

"What?" Hinaka pushed.

"Never mind, it's nothing." Iori insisted, not meeting his roommate's gaze.

Hinaka wasn't convinced one bit. "Cody, you can tell me anything you know. We are best friends." The boy informed, going to sit next to Iori on the bed.

"I don't want to talk about it right now, Hinaka." Iori closed his book and rolled in the opposite direction of Hinaka so he didn't have to look at him.

"Well, okay, but when you feel like talking, I'll be here." Hinaka assured, heading for the bathroom to shower. _I hope he doesn't think Satoshi is my boyfriend or something. Then again, I'm pretty sure I fucked that up, coming in holding his hand. God, I'm so stupid._ Hinaka mentally beat himself up on his way to the shower.

Iori laid in his bed, eyes closed, thinking. _I don't even know what's wrong with me. I just thought he might be the one for me. Well, that's out the window. I hope I find somebody at least._

* * *

Yamato finally arrived back at his and Taichi's dorm. He noticed the door cracked open and he could hear Taichi on _his_ guitar, playing one of Yamato's favorite songs from America.

_When I was younger, I saw my daddy cry and curse at the wind~_

_He broke his own heart and I watched as he tried to re~assemble it~_

_And my mama swore~ she would never let herself forget~_

_And that was the day that I promised, I'd never sing of love~ if it does not exist_

_But darling~ you are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception~_

Yamato couldn't believe how well Taichi's deep voice fit into the song, especially since it's originally sung by a girl.

_Maybe I know somewhere deep in my soul love never lasts~_

_We've got to find other ways to make it alone and keep a straight face~_

_I've always lived like this, keepin' a comfortable distance~_

_And up until now I'd have sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness~_

_Because none of it was ever worth the risk_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_Oooooooooooooo Oooooooooo_

Yamato was nearly tearing up at how sad the words were and because he knew that he caused that sadness.

_Hey Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey_

_I've got a tight grip on reality but I can't let go of what's in front of me here I know you're leaving in the morning when you wake up leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream_

_Oooooooooooo Ooooooooo_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception!_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_You are the only exception_

_And I'm on my way to believing!_

_And I'm on my way to believing…_

As the song closed, Yamato could feel a single tear fall from his face. It wasn't because of how beautiful the song was, though the song was beautiful, it was because of the pain he could feel emanating from Taichi's voice as he sang. Yamato pushed on the door to their room. It swung open slowly to reveal a red-eyed Taichi holding Yamato's guitar in his callused hands. He looked up at the sound of the door and noticed Yamato. "Oh… I guess you heard that…" Yamato nodded, a small smile on his face. The first genuine one since he had been cheated on by Jyou. "It's one of my favorite American songs." Tai admitted, placing the guitar back in its case.

"Mine too." Yamato confessed. "Tai..."

"No, Matt, you don't have to apologize. It was my fault for thinking you'd actually want to be with me; especially after such a short period of time and the fact that I don't know if you even like guys. So, sorry for putting you through th-"

"Listen to me Yagami!" Yamato ordered. Taichi cowered a little at the tone Yamato was using. "I never said I didn't want to be with you. I just… didn't want to deal with it at the moment. I want to give you a chance Taichi Yagami… if you'll let me." Yamato smiled nervously now.

"Of course I will!" Taichi answered a little too quickly, standing from the bed and going to stand in front of Yamato. "I mean, yeah, that sounds good." He answered again more casually. "So… umm… can I… kiss you again…?"

Yamato smiled genuinely this time. "Yeah, you can ki-" Before he could even finish, Taichi lifted his chin and pressed their lips together again. This kiss wasn't as needy as their previous one. It was more sweet and somewhat caring. No neediness or lust, just, what felt like, love.

**

* * *

**

Daikeru: Aww, isn't that sweet? I know, three days doesn't seem like much, but in T and D Daisuke fell in love with Takeru in a day and they were only together for a day before they had sex. If you all remember my smexy lemon. ;D Also, sorry for such a long wait. I started working, then I stopped, then I started again, and so on. So, it was really a work in progress that ended with a sweet Taito kiss. Yay! Reviews welcome… but flames will be used in the roasting of marshmallows. :D

**Disclaimer: I do not own the song **_**The Only Exception.**_** It is the soul property of the band Paramore. Sadly, I don't own such a great song. ****But, I suggest listening to it to understand what it would sound like if you were singing it about someone. I also don't own Chibi Vampire no matter how awesome that manga is, I don't own it. *Tears fall from my face.***


	4. Chapter 3

**3. In Which A Decision Is Made and Romance Displayed**

_Dear Journal,_

_Sorry it's been so long since I've written in you. I think the last time I wrote in you was before… the accident. I try not to think about it, but the more I try not to, the more I do. Like right now, I'm trying to push it out of my mind, but that's only making me relive it again. No wonder Daisuke thinks I'm a wimp. Some friend he is. I know it's only been a week since I met him, but you'd think he'd be a little more considerate. I mean, I know he lost his mom to alcohol since Yamato told me, but still, he acts like he doesn't even care about anyone else. You'd think something like that would make a person think more about the feelings of other people. Why do I care again? I guess that's a question I've been mulling over these last few days and I can't seem to find an answer. It's like that unsolvable problem from that show about the Enterprise. What was it called again? Oh yeah! Star Trek. What was the unsolvable problem? Whatever, it's not important. Lately, though, I don't know what _is_ important. I'm happy and all for Yamato and Taichi, but I'm also jealous because I don't have anybody like that. And just my luck there wouldn't be any girls here. That might explain why Cody has a thing for Hinaka. Not that I'm judging, but he seems to go all "crush-y" when Hinaka walks by, talks to, or comes hear him. It's kinda cute. Did I really just write 'cute'? God, what is up with me lately? I don't want to think about that anymore. Besides, Daisuke's here. I'll see you soon._

_Takeru_

"What's that?" The tan teenager pointed at the navy blue book Takeru was holding. "Does little Takeru have a diary?" He asked in his best "girly" voice.

"First of all, I'm taller than you." Takeru stated smugly. "Secondly, no, it's not a _diary_ it's a journal." The blonde pointed out.

Daisuke smirked. "A diary and a 'journal' are the same thing genius."

"Yeah, well your hair's messed up." Takeru shot back in his best "fake-anger" voice.

"So, what of it?" The goggle-head asked, sounding offended.

"Oh… that was supposed to be a joke." Takeru informed the other boy, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Daisuke frowned. "I don't appreciate your brand of humor Mr. Comedian." He crossed his arms with a _huff_, feigning anger which Takeru obviously didn't pick up on.

"Sorry… I didn't mean it to sound mean; I just needed something to fire back at you." Takeru explained.

"Dude, lighten up. I was only messing with you." The brunette smirked. "By the way, dinner's ready. You'd better get to the commons before all the good seats are taken." With that, Daisuke stepped back out the door.

"Daisuke, you never cease to amaze me." Takeru said to himself, noting the boy's random changes in attitude. _Maybe he's finally starting to warm up to me… Or maybe he's just stringing me along… I can't be sure. I'll go get Matt and Cody and head down with them._ The blonde thought, stashing his "journal" away and heading out the door for his brother's room.

_

* * *

_

Meanwhile…

"We should… really get down… to dinner…" A breathless Yamato spoke between lip-locks from his new boyfriend.

"Okay…" Taichi said, crashing their lips together again. He practically shoved his tongue down the blonde's throat, not that either of them was complaining. The brunette snaked his tongue throughout the warm, moist cavern he'd traversed so many times in the past four days. Their days had mostly consisted of: get back from classes, drop everything and make out until dinner. There was the occasional homework period thrown in, but that was rare, especially for Taichi.

"Our food… is gonna be… cold…" Yamato warned half-heartedly, not really caring about food at the moment.

Taichi pulled back for a second to respond. "Like you want to stop…" He smirked, plunging back into the blonde's mouth for round five.

_Knock, knock._ The noise made both hormone crazed boys jump and stop where they were. "Matt? It's TK! Can I come in?" The younger boy's innocent voice made its way through the door. Taichi sniggered at the boy beneath him.

"Don't say a word, he'll go away and we can get back to… well, you know." The brunette winked.

Taichi didn't notice the glint in Yamato's eyes when he said those words. "Yeah TK; c'mon in!" He called from his place on the bed. Just as the door swung open, Yamato shoved Taichi off of him and readjusted himself.

Taichi groaned, stroking the place he could feel the oncoming lump. "What was that for Yama? He already knows about us, it's not like he'll be freaked out by seeing my tongue down your thr- Oof!" Taichi was cut off as a pillow collided with his face. "Okay, maybe I deserved that."

Takeru chuckled at the two. "No need to be so uptight _Yama_." The younger blonde teased. He dodged the pillow that was thrown his way, however. "Are you two coming down for dinner or are you just gonna swap spit all night?"

"If you hadn't walked in we could have been swapping more th- OW! Stop abusing me Yama!" Taichi whined as Yamato's palm landed on his head with a resounding _SMACK!_

"You need to learn to keep your mouth shut… Even if it is true…" Yamato blushed as he whispered his little admission.

Taichi winked at his boyfriend. "We could always skip dinner." The wild haired teen offered. Yamato just shook his head and stood.

"I'm hungry Tai, and I want something to eat… your tongue doesn't count…" The older Ishida spoke, knowing Taichi's next comeback. "Besides, I have to give a speech tomorrow in first period and I don't want to be yawning during it." He explained as he walked out the door, surprising both of the other boys by not waiting for either of them.

Takeru soon tried to follow suit. "Well, I bet-"

"TK, can I ask you something?" Taichi interrupted Takeru to ask. The blonde shook his head and Taichi continued. "Do you think I should do something… romantic for Matt?" Takeru was caught off guard by the brunette's sudden question.

"… I don't know." He responded honestly. "I mean, I guess it's all up to you, not me. Do you want to do something romantic for him?"

"Yeah, I really do. I was thinking tomorrow, but I don't know what to do." Taichi hung his head in a mock pout before Takeru came up with an idea.

"You could do the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet!" Taichi watched him with a look that said "huh?" "It's Matt's favorite play and there's this scene where the main guy, Romeo, is calling to Juliet from the ground and basically saying sweet nothings to her so she knows he loves her. Then, when he climbs a tree up to the balcony, they kiss, but he leaves before anything else can happen."

Taichi seemed to have an abrupt realization as he suddenly said "OH! I think I remember that! They have it in the library here and we studied it in language arts last year! Thanks TK, you're the best!" The brunette complimented before racing out of the room to what Takeru assumed would be the library to check out the book.

Having nobody left to talk to, Takeru left for Iori and Hinaka's room.

_

* * *

_

You have to say something to him…

Hinaka scolded himself. Iori had been growing ever distant since the incident with Satoshi. Now, he was sitting on his bed completing a math assignment his teacher had given the class. He was nearly done. "Hey… Cody?" Hinaka offered gently, trying not to say something wrong.

Iori was silent for a bit before responding with a solemn "What?" Hinaka hadn't been expecting a response so he was a little thrown for a loop until Iori turned and jade met with sapphire causing both to turn a tinge of pink.

"I… I… uh…" The baseball player stammered. _How do I say this without sounding even _more_ awkward?_ He berated himself. "I wanted t-" He was cut off as a _knock, knock_ sounded from the door.

"Hey Cody! Can I come in?" Takeru's voice traveled through the door.

"Can it wait Hinaka?" Cody asked. The other boy just nodded, knowing full well he didn't want it to wait, but he'd have to. "You can come in TK!" The small boy informed. The knob turned and the door opened to reveal a smiling Takeru.

"Are you guys ready for dinner?" Takeru queried.

"I'm not very hungry, you guys go on ahead." Hinaka told them. His stomach was doing back flips at what he nearly said to Iori. Takeru nodded, but Iori didn't believe it for a second. He may not have known Hinaka that long, but he could tell he was lying.

"Come on Cody; let's go before the food's cold." Takeru suggested, stepping out of the way as the wary brunette got off the bed and made his way over to the door. The green eyed by uttered a soft "Let's go" before trading one last glance with his roommate as the door closed.

_**Good job Hinaka. What's wrong with you?**__ ... Other than the fact that Cody might not be gay like I am…? __**He still deserves to know.**__**I mean, it's not like he could hate you. **__Except that he could and he probably would. __**Stop being such a pussy and just tell him as soon as he walks in that door! **__ALRIGHT! Fine!_ Hinaka's inner voice had one this round.

* * *

The next day, Yamato unlocked the door of the room he and Taichi shared. Opening it, he expected Tai to be lying on his bed, waiting for their usual make out session to begin. Yamato had been waiting all day for it as well, but instead of Taichi, he found a post-it note on his pillow. He walked over to it and began reading.

_Yama,_

_Roses are red, violets are blue, this is cliché, but I have a surprise for you. I don't have it yet but you'll get it later. I'm not her now because I'm making it better._

_Your Tai_

Yamato chuckled at his boyfriend's attempt at poetry. _Only Tai could write something this lame, so he must be doing this all by himself. Still, I wonder what the surprise will be. We have about an hour until dinner, so I hope it's soon._ Yamato told himself. As if on cue, Yamato heard a _tap_ from the window and turned his blonde head to look at it. _This is the third floor, how could someone get up here?_ He asked himself before another noise came from the window. Yamato finally made his way over to the window and found a familiar mop of unruly brown hair on the grounds outside the dorm building. He opened the window and yelled: "What are you doing Tai? And what was with that cheesy note?"

Tai offered no response to the questions and the blonde noticed that Tai was wearing a black suit in place of his normal school uniform. Tai then began to speak; he was loud enough without yelling that Yamato could hear him easily (as well as all others who had noticed the soccer star outside the building clad in what he was). "What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Yama is the sun! The brightness of his cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp; his eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright, that birds would sing and think it were not night. See how he leans his cheek upon his hand! O, that I was a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek!" Yamato hadn't realized he had his head in his hand until Taichi had finished the excerpt. "Yama, come down here!" Taichi called up finally, but Yamato was already halfway down the stairs with some of the boys, that had listened in, cheering him on.

He stepped from the front door of the building and found Taichi had beaten him there. The blonde jumped into his boyfriend's arms and wrapped his arms and legs around Taichi. "How did you know I loved Romeo and Juliet?" Was the first thing said between either of them.

"Well, let's just say I had some help from another Ishida." Taichi said, trying to be mysterious and failing at it.

"I'll have to remember to thank TK later." Yamato told the brunette who just chuckled.

"So Juliet, do you want to see your surprise?" Yamato shook his head at the joke but agreed and was carried off by Taichi, bridal style.

* * *

Taking his math notebook from his pack, Iori made his way over to his own bed and began the assignment. His teacher had given extra homework since the class was being louder than usual. Iori didn't care, he had finished nearly all of it before class was dismissed anyway. _I know I haven't been that nice to Hinaka lately, but I don't care, I just don't. __**You know you do, you just won't admit one thing…**__ What one thing? __**You're jealous.**__ I am not jealous… am I?__** Oh please, you're so jealous, even TK has caught on to you being Mr. Moody.**__ Do you really want me to say it? __**Only if you think you have the guts to admit it. **__Fine… I _am_ jealous. I really like Hinaka, but he has a boyfriend. __**Are you sure?**__ Well, he came in holding Satoshi's hand a few days ago, it's obvious- __**How often does he talk about Satoshi? **__Well… close to never… __**Then why would you worry about it? **__Maybe he hasn't said anything because he thinks I don't like gay people. __**But you are gay. **__No I'm n-… okay, maybe I am. __**Tell him.**__ No. __**Tell. Him. Now.**__ No, I'm not ready. __**TELL HIM! **__FINE!_ And just like that, Hinaka walked in the door. _What are the chances?_ Iori chuckled darkly to himself.

_Well, it's now or never. __**Preferably now.**__ Shut up._ Hinaka scolded his subconscious. "Cody, I have something to tell you…"

"I have to tell you something too…"

"Oh… you want to do it at the same time?" The baseball player offered. Iori said nothing, just nodded.

Both gathered what courage they could muster and blurted out those four words that could make or break any relationship. "I really like you!" Then, silence followed. It was so quiet, they could hear Taichi telling Yamato to come down from where ever he was.

Seconds turned to minutes and minutes to what felt like hours before anything else happened. What happened in the next second is exactly what was expected, both boys turned a deep shade of crimson, Iori being a shade darker. Hinaka bit his bottom lip apprehensively before saying something. "So… Cody…" Green eyes met cerulean at the mention of the smaller boy's name. "Do you… umm… want to be… my boyfriend?"

"Uh… s-s-sure… I'd r-really l-l-like that… H-H-Hinaka." The green eyed boy stammered before his eyes met the floor.

"Great…" Hinaka trailed off, his face cracking into a small smile when he thought of an idea. "Hey Cody…?"

"…Yeah?" As he looked back into his new boyfriend's eyes, he felt soft lips meet his cheek and his blush somehow grew ever darker.

* * *

Takeru finally stepped through the threshold of the room he shared with Daisuke to find the boy asleep, listening to the blonde's iPod. "HEY! That's mine!" Takeru yelled. Daisuke didn't even acknowledge his existence. The blue eyed boy made his way over to the tanned boy and yanked the device from his hand (and ears) which promptly awakened him.

"Hey! I was listening to that!" Daisuke complained, reaching for Takeru's iPod and failing. "Give it!"

"No, it's mine! Where did you even find it?" Takeru asked.

Daisuke silenced for a second before answering. "I sortta… went through your stuff… hehe…" the brunette chuckled nervously. "OW! What was that for?" He whined as Takeru promptly whacked him upside the head.

"For going through my stuff." He said smugly. Takeru heard Daisuke mutter something Taichi could be heard outside saying "Yama, come down here!" Takeru made it to the window in time to see Taichi carrying his brother away bridal style. "You can thank me for setting our brothers up."

"Yeah, thanks for that." Daisuke thanked none too enthusiastically.

* * *

Taichi tapped a tan finger on his blonde "captive". "You can look now." He whispered. Yamato pulled his head out of the crook of Taichi's neck and found an impractical picnic splayed out on the ground about thirty feet from a lake's edge. There was a single candle in the middle of the white blanket that also held a picnic basket and two plates.

The blonde stared in astonishment at the set up. "You did all this yourself?" Taichi nodded and was met with a joyful kiss from the boy in his arms.

"Well, I had a little help from a friend who works in the kitchen, but I'd rather not say if that's the reward you give people who helped with this date." Taichi informed before receiving another kiss from Yamato.

"We'll say that was for him." Yamato winked as he was let down gently onto the blanket. "This is more romantic than Jyou ever was with me." He told the brunette who was now rummaging through the picnic basket pulling out a bento of sushi, some chopsticks, soy sauce and little dishes to hold the soy sauce in. "Wow, you must be in tune with me because I've had the strongest craving for sushi lately.

"Well that's good because there's a lot here and I'm not eating it by myself." Taichi informed, popping a tuna roll into his mouth. Yamato reached for a salmon skin roll, but his hand was pushed away by tanned hands. "No, I get to feed you." The boy simply said before taking the roll and popping it into Yamato's gaping mouth.

"This… is really good… Taichi." Yamato told him through chewing.

"I know it is, I made it myself." Taichi informed smugly.

**

* * *

**

Daikeru: Okay, a lamer chapter than the other ones, but still good right? Anyway, I'm sorry for the long time between updates, but I've been busy and I'm kinda losing my "writer's spark" as I like to call it. But, I've decided to enter in the NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month contest to try and re-ignite my spark. :D I have to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. Wish me luck. And don't worry, I'll be sure to post that novel up here too, after all, it will be a Taito. ;D Anyway, best wishes and please don't be mad if I don't update as soon as I'm done with the novel thing. Reviews welcome… flames will be taken and used to try and re-ignite my spark. Love you all! :D

**P.S. The link to my NaNoWriMo profile is on my profile here. Be sure to send me encouraging words. **


	5. Chapter 4

**4. In Which The Past Is Revealed**

Yamato groaned as tan hands roved around his feminine body, trying to get a hold of himself. "Tai… we have to finish our essay for language arts tomorrow… we'll fail the semester if we don't…" The blonde pleaded. He'd been working at a steady pace, researching as much as possible when Taichi had walked in after some talk with Daisuke about something Yamato knew nothing about and the brunette just practically attacked him against his will… not that he didn't enjoy it.

"I know, but you're too sexy Yama~ I don't even care if I fail… just so long as I'm with you~" The goggle-head informed seductively, placing his lips to his uke's neck and sucking to leave a light purple mark to claim the blonde as his own.

What Taichi had said was stupid, but in a very sweet way that puzzled Yamato. "Well I do care Tai…" The blue eyed boy told his boyfriend, trying to wriggle out from under him. "I know you really like me, and I really like you, but I don't want it interfering with our school work." Yamato looked at Taichi's clearing eyes.

The tan boy suddenly felt bad for having nearly forced the blonde into this. "Sorry Yama… I just think you're so hot… I lose it sometimes." And he removed himself from his boyfriend to sit on the edge of the bed, head down in sadness.

Yamato buttoned the two buttons on his shirt that had come undone and then placed a soft hand on Taichi's shoulder. "It's okay Tai. And, I promise, as soon as we're done with our essays we can make out as long as you want." He assured, rubbing small circles along Taichi's shoulder.

Taichi grinned widely, all traces of sadness gone. "Just remember your promise!"

"If I don't, you will." Yamato chuckled. "Now we should get back to that essay."

"Yeah, don't want you failing." Taichi chuckled as well.

After moments of returning to their assignment, Taichi suddenly got the urge to ask a question he'd wanted to ask for the past two weeks since they started going out. "Hey Yama…?" Said blonde looked to his boyfriend. "This may not be the best time… but… am I the only boyfriend you've ever had?" He was completely serious in his question too.

Yamato chuckled nervously, not wanting to answer that particular question. "Well… no… not exactly." He didn't meet Taichi's gaze as the brunette acquired a questioning look. "I had a boyfriend about a year and a half ago- his name was Jyou- but it didn't last."

Taichi tilted his head to one side like an inquisitive puppy dog. "Why didn't it?" Taichi wasn't jealous of Yamato's ex, he was just very curious.

Yamato could feel as his need to tell Taichi everything kicked in. "I caught him cheating on me… with a girl named Mimi…" He hated hearing her name, much less saying it aloud. He wanted to kill her.

Taichi frowned at the news. "I'm sorry for bringing it up…" He sat next to Yamato, putting a comforting arm around his boyfriend.

Yamato shook his head with a false smile on his face. "There's no way you could have known… but… what really fucked with my head…" He paused, trying to find the right words. "He was my first Taichi… I gave him my virginity and he gave me th-the h-heart b-break of m-my life." His face was in his hands now, keeping the tears from showing.

Taichi's arms were around him in a second. "Shh, it's okay Yamato." He cooed soothingly.

"Y-You d-deserve to kn-know." Yamato got out as he began his story.

_

* * *

_

-Flashback-

_I knocked on Jyou's door to see if he was in, but nobody answered. I then turned the door knob to find it unlocked and stepped inside. "Jyou? Are you home?" I stepped inside and closed the door. I could hear noises coming from the bed room. It was Saturday and his parents were at work while his brother was on some sort of trip._

_I made it to his room and the sounds became clearer. It sounded like moaning, but I thought Jyou had heard me come in and he was just trying to be funny. So I opened the door. "Hey Jy- What the hell?" I saw him, naked, lying on his back with some pink-haired slut riding him._

_I knew her from school: Mimi Tachikawa, she wanted to be a model in America and it looked like she was starting her career early by showing Jyou what she'd do for a job. She screamed as she fell off the opposite side off from me and Jyou jumped up. "Yamato, I can explain!"_

"_Don't even try you fucking cheater!" I yelled at him as tears burned my eyes. "I loved you! I… You were my first everything! My first kiss, my first long-term relationship… my first lover… and you just… don't even try explaining anything!" My fists were clenched, ready to punch him should he step any closer. "I just need to know one thing… did you actually mean it when you told me you loved me?"_

_His silence said it all as I ran out with tears streaming down my face, knocking some vase off a table as I dashed past, opening the door and leaving. I never went back after that._

_-End Flashback-_

* * *

Yamato said sobbing with his face in Taichi's neck. "Shh, he'll never hurt you again Yama, I promise. I'm here for you." Taichi told the blonde reassuringly.

"Th-Thank y-you T-T-Tai." He whimpered.

"It's no problem Yama… I love you." Taichi admitted with true feeling behind his words.

"I-I… I…" Yamato couldn't find the words. They were on the tip of his tongue, he just couldn't say them.

Taichi quietly chuckled to himself. "Don't force it Yama, I can wait."

Daisuke stepped into the dorm room he shared with Takeru Ishida to find said boy sitting on his bed with a laptop he'd borrowed from a friend in his geometry class. "Hey Davis." The blonde greeted, returning to his typing at the wave Daisuke gave him in return.

"So, what's the assignment this time?" Daisuke took a seat on his bed grabbing his Nintendo DS.

Takeru's fingers flew over the key board. "Just a paper for history."

"Ah." Daisuke said. He'd been trying to get Takeru talking more lately. He didn't understand why he'd been doing it so he'd talked to his brother Taichi about it.

_

* * *

_

-Flashback-

"_Umm, Tai…?" Daisuke asked, catching his brother in the hallway before he was about to enter his dorm._

_The older Yagami turned with a smile. "What is it Davis?"_

"_It's about TK." Tai didn't seem surprised at all that his brother would be bringing Yamato's younger brother up._

_Taichi chuckled, shaking his head. "I knew you liked him." He said, smugly patting himself on the back in his mind._

"_W-What? Are you insane? I'd never like him!" Daisuke scoffed at his brother's insinuation._

"_Well if not that… then what?" Taichi asked, not believing his brother for a second._

"_Do you think he's gay?" Daisuke finally voiced his question._

_Taichi shrugged. "I don't know. If he is, he's either really far in the closet or he hasn't admitted it to himself yet. Maybe you should tell him about yourself a little before you start assuming something of him." The older male suggested, grasping the door knob to his dorm room._

_Daisuke smiled. "I'll try that. Thanks Tai!"_

"_No problem, little bro." He responded before stepping into his and Yamato's dorm._

_-End Flashback-_

* * *

And now here he was, trying to keep denying that he felt something for Takeru and failing miserably at it as well. "Uh… TK, can I tell you something… I mean, you should know since we're living together."

Takeru once again looked up from the laptop to Daisuke. "What did you need to tell me?" He closed the computer, glad that Daisuke was finally starting to warm up to him enough to talk more often.

"I… uh… I'm… um… gay." He said nervously, though he knew he shouldn't have been since their brothers were together.

Takeru laughed for some reason that left Daisuke feeling offended. "S-Sorry… haha… it's just… haha… I never expected… ha… you to be gay." Trying to calm himself, Takeru placed both hands over his mouth.

Daisuke shrugged. "Yeah, most people are surprised when they find out. But when I tell them my brother's gay… let's just say that… some people aren't that nice after that… we were called Taisuke when we came out here by some people because they think we commit incest." Takeru was listening intently now. "Tai doesn't care what people call him; he's always had a boyfriend to help him through it. I did too at one time… but that was a long time ago…"

"How long ago?" Takeru asked, curious.

Daisuke thought for a moment. "Maybe… seven, eight months. His name was Ken."

"What was he like?"

Daisuke smiled at the memory of Ken. "He was the best. He was smart, funny, athletic… he was a little nervous at times, but that was probably the best thing about him because he'd always cuddle up to me when he was nervous and I loved when he cuddled up to me. It made him feel safe and it made me feel loved."

Takeru smiled at what Daisuke had said, but then remembered something. "If he was the best… why did you break up?"

Daisuke's face was suddenly hit with a frown at the question. "Oh… yeah… well, one day… after soccer practice…"

_

* * *

_

-Flashback-

"_Hey Daisuke, get over here!" One of my team mates called to me. I went over to him and he ruffled my hair. "Great practice today!"_

"_Thanks!" I smiled at him._

_He nodded. "And, it sounds like you're not doing too bad with your boyfriend either." The subject change was really weird to me, but I just shrugged it off. I'd been gloating for the past week that Ken and I had kissed._

"_Yeah, I guess you could say that." I said a little weary of where this was going._

_I could tell by the look in his eyes that it wasn't going to be the nice, innocent conversation it had started out as. "Guess you finally got enough of your brother's cock up your ass and went on to some one else." I was going to kill, I wanted to, but I couldn't._

_So I decided to play dumb. "What?"_

_He snickered at me. "I said, I guess you got tired of your brother's cock and w- FUCK! You little bastard!" I had punched him for what he'd said about me and my brother. I didn't even know I had until he yelled at me and by that time, he'd socked me in the gut and I crumpled over. "You little faggot, I'll show you." And he kicked me, hard, in the stomach. Nobody was there to save me, I was all alone being beaten and… not even Ken could save me. He continued with his barrage, until I finally fell unconscious._

_I woke up about an hour later and when I sat up, my stomach ached like nothing I'd ever felt before. I slowly stood up, wrapping my arms around my stomach to drive away the pain and limped back here, to what was mine and Ken's dorm at the time. He went all motherly and freaked out at how bad I looked. Apparently, my right eye was swollen, my goggles were broken and my stomach was covered in bruises and cuts._

"_Davis, what happened?" Ken had asked frantically, taking my shirt off and grapping the gauze he kept for his soccer practice, just in case._

_I couldn't remember exactly what happened, all I remembered was the pain and each surge of it. "I don't really know." I told him as he wrapped the bandaging around my stomach. I suddenly felt angry, I don't know why, I just remember getting really, really angry and yelling. "Why weren't you there for me?" I blamed him for what had happened._

"_Wh-What? Davis, I had no idea where you were." He'd said calmly._

_I… I hit him in my rage. "Don't give me that shit! You weren't there for me!" He was crying, telling me to calm down and I was listening. "This is all your fault! I wouldn't have been beaten if you were there!" I knew it wasn't his fault deep down inside, but I was losing it._

_Ken went wide eyed at my accusation. "What the hell are you talking about? I didn't know where you were Davis! How was I supposed to know you'd been beaten up?" I hit him again._

"_Stop making up excuses! You knew right where I was!"_

_He was clenching his head and all I did was stay enraged. "Davis, just calm down." He pleaded and this time… I punched him._

"_Don't you tell me to calm down!" I yelled again, punching him for the second time. He was on the ground with a bloody nose, cringing in fear as I stepped forward._

_I don't really remember much after that, but I woke up on my bed in the middle of the night. I flipped on my lamp and found all of Ken's things gone and note from him._

Daisuke,

I love you and I know you're angry, but… I just don't feel safe. If this were to happen again, I don't know what you'd do to me. I promise not to tell, but I'm changing dorms. I feel bad for leaving you like this, but… I can't stay when my life could possibly be at risk. I'm sorry.

Love always,

Ken

_I cried myself to sleep that night and every night after that for at least a month, beating myself up for what I'd done to him. I understood his reasoning behind his actions, I just wish I hadn't talked to that kid from the soccer team._

_I reported him the next day, but since I had no witnesses or proof other than the bruises that could have 'very well came from soccer practice', he didn't get into any trouble._

_-End Flashback-_

* * *

Takeru was speechless at Daisuke's tale. The closest he'd ever gotten to being in a real relationship was being best friends with purple-haired girl he knew in grade school named Yolei.

Daisuke looked up from the fingers he'd been twiddling while telling his story to meet Takeru's. "So, yeah, that's my story." Though he tried not to show it, Takeru could see how sad his roommate was by having to relive that story.

The blonde nodded. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay… you deserved to know. We are roommates." Daisuke smiled falsely, trying to make the situation seem less awkward.

"Yeah…" Takeru felt something in his gut, though he wasn't sure what it was. It felt to him like it was calling out for Daisuke. _No, I'm straight. I must just be hungry._ He told himself, shaking it off. "Do you want to get something to eat?"

Daisuke smiled. "I'd like that." And they both got up and left for the common area.

* * *

Iori sat quietly on his bed while his new boyfriend showered off from baseball practice. It drove the boy crazy to think of Hinaka as his boyfriend, in a good way. He couldn't wait for the dirty-blonde boy to come out of the bathroom and give him the usual after-shower kiss on the cheek.

"Hey Cody… can I ask you something?" Hinaka's voice called from behind the closed bathroom door after he'd dried himself. He made it a habit now to take the clothes he was going to wear after his shower into the bathroom with him.

Iori giggled to himself. "Of course you can, Hina."

Hinaka stood in front of the mirror, thinking of how weird the question was that he was about to ask. "Well… we've been dating for a week now… and I was wondering… if I could… kiss you… on the lips?" They'd been taking slow, but Hinaka really wanted to show Iori what he meant to him with their first real kiss.

Iori's heart stopped at the question. His, having resumed pumping, heart said yes, but his brain was telling him no. He didn't know which to listen to. _I really like Hinaka… and I do want to kiss him…_ So he said the first thing that came to mind. "Yes Hina, you c-can…"

Hinaka was glad he wasn't outside the bathroom because his face flushed a deep shade of red as he smiled at his boyfriend's answer. The feeling was mutual as Iori's face did the same thing.

The blonde finished getting into his school uniform and slowly stepped out to face his blushing Iori.

"So… uh… how should we… do this?" Iori asked, sitting at the edge of his bed.

Hinaka chuckled nervously, sitting next to the small brunette. "Let me?" He asked.

Iori nodded, blushing again as Hinaka's hand touched his face, holding it while his head moved closer. Iori almost backed away if not for the fact that he knew he wanted this, so he closed his eyes and puckered his lips, feeling as Hinaka's met with his in a quick, but caring brush of the lips.

Hinaka pulled back. "Th-Thanks Cody… I really liked it."

"M-Me too." The short boy stuttered.

Hinaka heard as Iori's stomach let off a loud, low growl, signaling his hunger. He laughed. "Maybe we should go get something to eat?"

"Y-Yeah… good idea." Hinaka took his boyfriend's hand and led him out the door.

**

* * *

**

KeruKeru: Okay, so, LONG time without an update to this story, but I've been busy with school and family and stuff like that. :P Anyway, so we learned more about Matt's and Davis' pasts. I told you this wasn't going to be a happy story. But, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! :D *does a dance* lol But seriously, reviews welcome… flames are not and will have the writer of such added to my kill list. Also, I'd like to thank Takato The Dreamer, Mr. GooseyMoose, Miles Per Power and all of my other readers for putting up with my lengthy update periods. Thanks guys!

**P.S. I didn't finish NaNoWriMo. :P My story sucked anyway, so it won't be up. I know I promised, but it just wasn't worth it. I had a story that was going nowhere. So just forgive me when I say I'm sorry I broke my promise.**


	6. Chapter 5

**5. In Which Fireworks Ignite**

**KeruKeru: Hey guys, I know, I know. It's been too long. Blame school! But, I've decided to make another song chapter! :D Originally, I was gonna do a song-fic with this song, but I decided Firework would make more sense WITH fireworks. XD Plus, it's a great song for the way I'm gonna end this chapter. All Daikeru fans will love me by then. ;D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Firework by Katy Perry. (So sad D':)**

He came through the door, throwing his soccer stuff on the floor; Takeru could smell the wretched odor from his place on the bed. "Don't you ever wash your soccer uniform?" He said through a plugged nose to keep from gagging.

Daisuke just shook his head with a smirk. "Nope, if I wash it, it won't be lucky anymore and we'll lose."

The blonde tried to keep his lunch down as he stood and opened the window to their room to let air in. "Luck or not, you're washing the uniform."

The brunette crossed his arms like a disobedient child. "You can't make me!"

"No, but _I_ can wash it for you." The Ishida threatened, moving towards the duffle bag his roommate had brought in.

He took the strap from its place on the ground and slung it over his shoulder. "Alright, alright, I'll do it MOM!"

Takeru stayed silent, hoping Daisuke would realize how awkward the conversation had become. He blinked for a moment before finally talking again. "After dinner, I wanna show you something that, I don't think, anybody else knows about. Or if they do, they don't mention it."

"Sure, that'd be nice. What are you gonna show me?"

"You'll just have to wait and see." He told him slyly, slipping from the room to- assumingly- wash his uniform, though the blonde knew that wasn't where he went. It didn't bother him that much and he let it go. The smell was out of the room; that was the important thing.

* * *

As dinner time rolled around, Taichi and Yamato left their room; Taichi's arm draped over his blonde to show everyone he was his and nobody else's. It was like a dog marking its territory but cleaner. "Do you wanna watch the fireworks with me tonight?" Taichi asked.

The Ishida cocked his head to one side. "What fireworks?"

Taichi chuckled softly. "It's some festival they have every year. I think it's to celebrate something with the stars." The brunette informed.

"Thanks for not making it vague." Yamato joked, shaking his head at his boyfriend's slight incompetence. "No matter what it's for, I'd love to watch them with you Tai." He assured with a smile.

"Great! I was thinking we could take some blankets and pillows up to the roof, cuddle up and watch the fireworks."

"Sounds almost as great as our first date."

"Almost?" Taichi asked with slight hurt in his voice.

Yamato nodded. "You won't be carrying me up there." He chuckled as Taichi deadpanned at the information.

"I could carry you~" Taichi informed.

"Really? Well that would be awe- TAI! What are you doing? Put me down!" Yamato cried as the brunette hoisted him over his shoulder. "This isn't what I meant!"

Taichi just laughed as he carried Yamato like a sack of potatoes. "You said you wanted me to carry you." He pointed out, adjusting the blonde on his shoulder in order to hold onto him better.

"Oof… This isn't what I had in mind." The blonde pouted anger evident in his voice. "Then again, I do get a nice look at your ass from this angle." The blonde teased, not noticing the few stares they were getting from other boys leaving their rooms.

"I bet you like it don't you?" Taichi smirked.

"Yeah~ I do~"

"I can tell, your dick's jabbing into my shoulder."

All the blood in Yamato's body almost literally rushed to his face, deflating his hard on immediately which brought a loud laugh out of Taichi. "I hate you so much…"

"Love you too." Taichi grinned back at the blonde.

* * *

"Ready for dinner, Cody?" Hinaka asked as he exited the bathroom, forgetting to put his shirt on.

Iori's eyes were drawn to the teenager's slightly sculpted frame until Hinaka finally realized he was missing the article of clothing and both boys were red in the face as the baseball player put on his shirt.

"S-Sorry… yeah, I'm r-ready." The maroon-faced boy finally answered, standing up, but keeping his eyes off of Hinaka.

"Cody, it's okay." The blonde assured. "You can look at me; you are my boyfriend after all."

"I… I know… It's just so… different seeing you like that, knowing I'm allowed to stare." Iori admitted.

"I didn't really mind when you were staring at me on the first day. I thought it was kinda cute, especially since it was an adorable boy like you." Hinaka smiled, taking the short boy's hand in his.

"Th-Thanks…" The jade-eyed boy said, blushing even more if it was possible.

"No problem."

As they left their dorm room, Iori's face became less and less red with each passing second until it was back to its normal pale-ish complexion. "Would you want to watch some fireworks with me tonight?" Hinaka asked out of the blue.

"Sure!" The brunette answered excitedly; he loved fireworks.

"We could bring my iPod dock and some blankets up to the roof and watch the fireworks there while we listen to music. It could be like… a date." Hinaka stated shyly.

Iori smiled. "I'd really like that…"

"Great, we can go set up after dinner." Hinaka informed as they followed the large crowd of boys down to the mess hall.

"Sounds good." Iori replied as the two took their seats next to each other and began eating.

* * *

'Okay,' Daisuke began mentally. 'I've got the blankets, pillows… everything's set up for tonight. I can't believe I'm finally gonna tell TK how I feel about him…' A soft, pink blush began creeping across his face at the thought. 'I just hope he likes me back… if not that, I hope he doesn't hate me…'

Suddenly, the door that led onto the roof creaked open. "You won't believe the vi- Davis, what are you doing here?" The boy's older brother asked as he and his boyfriend carried their own blankets and pillows. "Thought you were spending the night with T-… oh… this is what you meant…"

Daisuke slowly nodded, staring at the paneling of the roof beneath them. "I didn't think anybody else knew about how to get up here… so I was gonna watch the fireworks with TK…" The red-faced boy admitted, forgetting that Yamato was there.

"I guess you were right Tai." Yamato chuckled.

Mouth agape from having been ratted out by his brother, Daisuke raged. "You told him?"

"I had to! He _is_ my boyfriend after all. Plus, he's TK's brother, he has more than a right to know." Taichi defended as the younger brunette lowered his head in shame, betrayal and defeat.

"Come Cody, we're almost the-… What are you guys doing here?" Hinaka asked the rest of them as he reached the top of the stairs leading to the roof.

"I thought nobody else knew about how to get up here, Hina?" Iori pointed out as he joined his boyfriend carrying the pillow and blanket from his bed.

Daisuke chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "See! I wasn't the only one!"

"Really guys, it's the roof, you really thought nobody else knew how to get up here?" Yamato asked incredulously.

"I've never heard anyone else talking about it!" Daisuke and Hinaka defended in sync, looking at each other and gaining a deadpanned expression in the process.

"Maybe you guys should listen more. This is actually a pretty popular make out spot for most of the guys on the soccer team." Taichi informed as he brushed past Daisuke, his blonde in tow.

Yamato nodded in agreement. "Some of my guitar class buddies talk about it all the time. I'm surprised nobody on the baseball team talks about it." He stated, turning to Hinaka.

"Now that you mention it…" Hinaka began, remembering where he'd gotten the idea from in the first place. "I'm sorry Cody… I forgot that Satoshi gave me the idea… now I ruined our date." The baseball player lowered his head in shame this time.

"It's okay Hina." Iori assured, placing a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "I feel a little less nervous knowing other people will be up here anyway…" He admitted as Hinaka's cerulean orbs met his jade ones.

Yamato and Taichi snickered at the two. "You guys are in luck. Davis is taking TK on their first date too!" The blonde started with his boyfriend finishing.

A resounding, whiney "TAI!" echoed from Daisuke's direction as he slumped to the ground, drawing circles on the paneling with his finger. "I hate you so much." He grumbled to himself.

"Speaking of whom, where is TK?" Iori asked, taking notice of the blonde's absence.

"Oh shit!" Daisuke exclaimed as he got to his feet immediately and bolted for his dorm room.

"Well, this is going to be an eventful night." Taichi observed, receiving a nod of agreement from each of the boys around him. "Anyway, let's start setting up." And so they did.

* * *

"Where the hell are my blanket and pillow?" An enraged Takeru asked his roommate who'd just entered their room.

Daisuke panted a bit as he'd just run down six flights of stairs because he forgot the building had an elevator. "They're… in the place… I wanted to show you… thought you want… to be comfortable… on the roof." He breathed heavily, trying to catch his breath.

Curiosity took over Takeru's mind at the mention of their destination. "Why the roof?"

"Because… there's gonna be… a fireworks show… I wanted to… show you." Daisuke replied, still panting.

"Did you run all the way down here?" Takeru observed, receiving a head nod in response. "You know there's an elevator right?"

"I forgot, okay?" The brunette told him quickly, blushing like mad because it had slipped his mind. "Let's just go." He nearly begged, beginning to lead the way to the elevator this time.

"At least you didn't forget this time." Takeru smirked at the glare Daisuke shot his way.

"Shut up." He pouted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Pressing the button for the top floor of the building, Takeru noticed that they were alone in a confined space. It was making him a little claustrophobic. "So, why are there fireworks tonight?" He asked to get his mind off his slight fear of small spaces.

"Some festival or something. I don't care why, I just like watching it." Daisuke informed. The elevator let off a _ding_ at each floor they passed on their way to the top.

Reaching the top floor, the big steel doors slid open and the two boys inside exited, getting through the crowd of boys getting into the elevator to go to the ground floor. "Looks like we'll be the only ones up there." Takeru secretly hoped.

"Not exactly…" Daisuke informed as they circled around, coming to the flight of stairs that led to the roof.

"Thought you said nobody knew but you?"

The two were halfway to the top by now. "Well, turns out more people know…" He said bashfully, reaching the top stair and opening the large metal door in front of them.

"How many people?"

"If it isn't TK and Davis!" Taichi called as he saw the boys stepping onto the roof.

"Bout time you two got here." Yamato commented. He was latched onto Taichi, pretending he was cold even though he had a blanket wrapped around him.

"Of course…" Takeru face palmed at the sight of the older boys. "Oh and I see Hina and Cody made it too." The blonde noted sarcastically, noticing the youngest couple waving at them.

"In my defense, they weren't supposed to know about this." Daisuke informed.

"Whatever, let's just get comfortable…" Takeru suggested, heading for the bare canvas of pillows and blankets he assumed was for himself and Daisuke. He plopped down and pulled his knees to his chest, facing the direction everyone else was.

The festival goers picked the right place to light their fireworks as the direction in which they were was also where the sun was setting, letting off soft blues, pinks and oranges into the sky.

"The sunset's beautiful." Yamato acknowledged as Tai took his hand in his.

"Yeah, it's a lot like you." The brunette complemented, rubbing the back of Yamato's hand with his thumb.

"I love watching the sunset." Hinaka told his boyfriend, placing his hand over the youngest boy's own.

He chuckled nervously. "Yeah… it's really pretty."

"How come when the sun rises and sets it's so cool, but it's so boring any other time of day?" Daisuke asked Takeru as the glowing orb of light was descending over the horizon.

"Because during the day, the sky's just blue. When it's rising or setting, there are more colors." He pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Daisuke agreed, sitting back and enjoying the sunset as Hinaka's iPod played _Just the Way You Are_ by Bruno Mars.

* * *

The sky soon turned inky black with pinpoints of light dotting it. A slight chill ran through the air, making each boy shiver a bit and either cuddle into their boyfriend or- in Takeru and Daisuke's case- cover themselves in a blanket.

And, as if like clockwork, the first rocket shot into the air, exploding in the sky with balls of purple light shooting from its point of detonation, falling as they slowly extinguished themselves. It had to be pure luck as Hinaka's iPod played the song _Firework_ by Katy Perry which each boy on the rooftop had a reason to like at the moment.

_Do you ever feel, like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again?_

_Do ever feel, feel so paper thin, like a house of cards, one blow from caving in?_

_Do ever feel, already buried deep, six feet under, screams but no one seems to hear a thing?_

_Do you know that there's, still a chance for you, cuz there's a spark in you?_

_You just gotta ignite~ the light~ and let~ it shine~_

_Just own~ the night~ like the Fourth of July~_

_Cuz baby you're a firework~ C'mon show 'em what~ you're worth~_

_Make 'em go ah-ah-ah_

_As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

_Baby you're a firework~_

_C'mon let your colors burst~_

_Make 'em go ah-ah-ah_

_You're gonna leave 'em going ah-ah-ah~_

* * *

Hinaka looked over to Iori's face as it lit up with each explosion, the boy grinning from ear to ear as the lights danced across the sky. "I love fireworks!" He said.

"And… I love you Cody." Hinaka admitted, knowing for sure even at the age of thirteen.

Iori turned his shocked face in Hinaka's direction, but then shot his eyes to the roof beneath them. "Is that why you brought me up here tonight? To tell me that?" Although Hinaka couldn't see his boyfriend's face, it was obvious he was smiling.

"Yeah…" The baseball player unnoticeably blushed.

"I love you too Hina." Iori admitted, being pulled into a soft kiss by his much taller boyfriend, not complaining a bit.

_

* * *

_

_You don't have to feel, like a waste of space, you're original, cannot be replaced~_

_If you only knew, what the future holds~ after a hurricane, comes a rainbow~_

May be a reason why, all the doors are closed, so you could open one that leads you to the perfect road~

_Like a lightening bolt~ your heart will glow~ and when it's time you'll know~_

* * *

"The last time I watched fireworks… I was with Jyou." Yamato admitted as a blue explosion lit the sky, followed shortly by a resounding _BOOM!_

"The last time I watched these fireworks, Koushiro and I had just started dating, but the past is behind us Yama, we're together now and that's all the matters." Taichi assured, throwing his arm over the musician's shoulders.

Yamato nodded with a slight smile. "After Jyou cheated on me… I never thought I'd fall in love again… and when you said you loved me, I wanted so desperately to say it back, but I wasn't ready then… because I didn't want it to turn out… like last time…" The blonde said, still recalling the scene in which he'd found his "beloved" boyfriend the last day he saw him. "If I say it Tai… you have to promise to never hurt me…"

"I already did Yama, but if you want… I promise I'll never, ever hurt you in any sort of way. I promise to love and cherish you as long as I live because that's what you deserve. I could never find anyone hotter than you anyway~" Taichi joked on the last part, but the rest was sincere. "I love you Yama, there's no changing it."

The blonde chuckled. "I love you too you big meat head."

"You just had to ruin it didn't you?"

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me already!" Yamato ordered as he was practically yanked onto Taichi's lips.

_

* * *

_

You just gotta ignite~ the light~ and let~ it shine~

_Just own~ the night~ like the Fourth of July~_

_Cuz baby you're a firework~ C'mon show 'em what~ you're worth~_

_Make 'em go ah-ah-ah_

_As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

_Baby you're a firework~_

_C'mon let your colors burst~_

_Make 'em go ah-ah-ah_

_You're gonna leave 'em going ah-ah-ah~_

_Boom~ Boom~ Boom~_

_Even brighter than the Moon~ Moon~ Moon~_

_It's always been inside of you~ you~ you~_

_And now it's time to let it through~ ooh~ ooh~_

* * *

Seeing as they were the only two not kissing or whispering sweet nothings in the others ear, Daisuke and Takeru sat rather far apart from one another. 'It's now or never.' Daisuke told himself. "So, are you enjoying the show?"

"Yeah, fireworks are always my favorite part of festivals." Takeru smiled, continuing to stare at the exploding lights in the near distance.

Daisuke nodded, doing the same. "Mine too."

"This has been the best night so far since we got here." Takeru said, not noticing that he'd said what he was thinking.

Daisuke blushed, though it was unnoticed because of the lack of light. "Well… there's… another reason I wanted to show you the fireworks…" He informed, scooting closer to the blonde little by little.

Without detecting the brunette's movement, Takeru turned to look at him, their eyes meeting. "What's that?"

"I… uh…" Daisuke stuttered, trying to find the best way to drop the bomb on Takeru. "Lately… I've… sortta found… that I… r-really l-l-like you…" He broke their eye contact to stare anywhere but at the blonde.

"O-Oh…" The, now flustered, blonde responded.

"It's okay if you don't like me."

"Davis."

"I mean, you are straight after all."

"Davis!

"God, what was I thinking? Of course you wouldn't like me back I mean I-"

"DAVIS!" Takeru yelled over the boy's rambling, finally grabbing his attention. "I'm not mad and… I'm pretty sure I'm not straight because… I think I like you the way you like me…"

Daisuke was now the one to act shocked, staring at the boy next to him. "R-Really?" The blonde nodded in response. "Well… do you… um… want me to… kiss you…?" He asked carefully. "I mean, I don't have to if you don't want me to."

"DAVIS!" Takeru yelled again, catching the brunette's attention before another fit of rambling ensued. "It's okay, I really want you to…" He said, closing the distance between them so their shoulders, hips and knees touched. They turned their heads to face each other, gently closing this final distance. Daisuke and his soon-to-be boyfriend puckered their lips as they met in the middle for a gentle kiss of lips meeting for the first time. Neither pulled away for a few seconds until oxygen started becoming an issue and their lips finally disconnected. "I think I'm gonna enjoy the fireworks a lot more now." Takeru chuckled as he leaned onto Daisuke's shoulder and said brunette made like his brother, draping an arm over his new boyfriend to watch the rest of the fireworks spectacular.

_

* * *

_

You just gotta ignite~ the light~ and let~ it shine~

_Just own~ the night~ like the Fourth of July~_

_Cuz baby you're a firework~ C'mon show 'em what~ you're worth~_

_Make 'em go ah-ah-ah_

_As you shoot across the sky-y-y_

_Baby you're a firework~_

_C'mon let your colors burst~_

_Make 'em go ah-ah-ah_

_You're gonna leave 'em going ah-ah-ah~_

_Boom~ Boom~ Boom~_

_Even brighter than the Moon~ Moon~ Moon~_

_Boom~ Boom~ Boom~_

_Even brighter than the Moon~ Moon~ Moon~_

* * *

**KeruKeru: I know what you're thinking: FINALLY! IT'S ABOUT TIME! I know you are, because I was even thinking it while writing this chapter. In fact, I was listening to the song Firework half the time I was writing this chapter. XD Originally, this chapter was supposed to be from Takeru's POV, but I thought it would seem better if each couple had a fireworks moment, especially since each had a verse or part of the chorus that pertained to their situation. You guys should be happy I didn't end it the way I was originally. It was supposed to be either a cliffhanger or TK running off cuz he was scared, but I thought this was a better alternative… especially since you'd all kill me because I don't update very often. XD Anyway, I'd like to thank my regular reviewers, Katy Perry, Glee and my imagination for help getting through this chapter! Please review and tell me what you thought! No flamers! See ya next update… eventually.**


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